Hero formation and the myth of Australian national identity in Australian football

Australia has a complex history but constructions of national identity have been particularly significant for the majority of its (white) population. While many nations go through a period of inventing national identity, Australia has long supported a whole industry devoted to informing Australians of who they are. Sporting success has been a significant part of this identity and the top sportspeople have risen to a venerated status as a result. This chapter discusses sports hero formation in relation to national identity in Australia, arguing that it can be a critical component of the development of a hero. A netnographic approach was utilised to examine the formation of sports heroes within the setting of a new professional Australian rules football team in Greater Western Sydney. Australian football can be a site for the construction of local, regional, and national identities. It is frequently subject to negotiations and struggles for power and acceptance, particularly with regard to who and what is considered Australian and the place of Aboriginal Australians. This chapter argues that the formation of sports heroes is shaped by established notions of national identity and longstanding mythological archetypes rather than heroes' personal traits.